Trekking pole with magnetic rifle mount

ABSTRACT

Apparatus involved with but not limited to a telescoping trekking pole with attachments for holding in place sporting gear, including a rifle. A magnet may be disposed near the upper end of the trekking pole assembly and may magnetically receive a barrel of a rifle, while a protrusion extending laterally some distance down the trekking pole assembly may receive the butt of a stock of a rifle. Telescoping lengths of a trekking pole allow a trekking pole to be adjusted in length to accommodate a user&#39;s height and/or the length of a rifle to be held by a trekking pole, and for a trekking pole to be reduced in length for portability and storage. Additional elements, such as handles and rings, may be disposed on a trekking pole to allow additional surfaces for gripping or hanging additional sporting gear, respectively.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This non-provisional application claims the benefit of, and priority from, U.S. Provisional Application No. 63/254,393, filed Oct. 11, 2021, the disclosures of which are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety as if fully set forth herein.

TECHNICAL FIELD

Embodiments of the present disclosure generally relate to hiking and hunting accessories. In particular, the present disclosure relates to a walking or hiking pole, also known as a trekking pole. Trekking poles are used in a variety of outdoor activities that require ambulatory movement, such as hiking or hunting. More specifically, aspects of the present disclosure relate to a trekking pole that can be vertically mounted into the earth and used to hang hunting accessories, such as a cooler, bag, or rifle, keeping them clean and dry.

BACKGROUND

Hunting and hiking are popular outdoor activities in much of the world. Trekking poles have become popular recently as a replacement for simple hiking sticks or poles. Trekking poles are used to support a hiker or walker across uneven terrain or assist with maintaining balance and shifting weight to the users' arms, thereby alleviating strain on the back and legs. The use of a pole in maintaining balance is also useful when fording shallow water or transiting across rocky terrain. Such a tool is especially useful in the field of sport hunting, wherein the hunter is often laden with heavy gear, including, for example, a rifle, food, and water. Once a sport hunter reaches an appropriate site to rest or lie in wait for game, there is often nothing that can be used to allow the hunter to sit comfortably or keep their gear off the ground, which may be muddy or wet. Due to the fact that hunters often walk or hike long distances toting heavy gear, they typically attempt to minimize weight to the extent possible.

SUMMARY

It is an object, feature, and/or advantage of the present disclosure to provide an improved trekking pole that may be driven into the ground and used to hang equipment and/or gear, including specialized elements for holding a rifle. A trekking pole may have an upper end and a lower end. A user may grip the pole near its upper extent and drive the lower end of the pole against the ground in order to provide additional stability while walking or to support the user's weight. In accordance with one exemplary aspect, a trekking pole is provided having a magnet disposed at a position near the upper end of the pole and a protrusion extending laterally from the pole some distance down the pole from the magnet. The end of the pole opposite from the end wherein the magnet is situated may be cut at an acute angle or otherwise sharpened so that the pole may be easily driven into the ground. Once the trekking pole has been stably placed into the ground, the heel of the stock of a rifle may be set on the protrusion and the metallic barrel of the rifle may be set against the magnet near the upper end of the pole. If a rifle is so situated, the magnet and the protrusion will hold the rifle in place. “Rifle” as used herein refers to a gun that may be fired from the shoulder level irrespective of whether the gun has spiral grooves cut into the interior of its barrel or bore.

In a nonlimiting exemplary embodiment of the disclosure, the trekking pole may be composed of multiple telescoping lengths of pole to allow it to be adjusted for height or for the length of the rifle. Height adjustments may be accomplished in telescoping fashion by placing a cylindrical inner pole of a certain diameter into a hollow cylindrical outer pole wherein the inner diameter of the hollow space inside the outer pole is equal to the diameter of the outer sides of the cylindrical outer pole.

In a nonlimiting exemplary embodiment of the disclosure, the trekking pole may be adapted to receive attachments, such as a hook suitable for hanging hunting equipment or a bag, handles adapted to protect the user's hand from brush or other vegetation, or rings adapted to receive hooks or carabiners.

In a nonlimiting exemplary embodiment of the disclosure, the hollow ends of the trekking pole may be covered by a pole cap made of plastic or another flexible material in order to prevent the intrusion of moisture and debris, and to cover hard or sharp edges. A pole cap may also be placed at the end of the gun rest protrusion.

The trekking pole may optionally be made of a plurality of materials, including but not limited to metals such as aluminum or steel, plastic, or other lightweight and rigid materials such as carbon fiber.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in, and which constitute a part of this specification, illustrate exemplary constructions and procedures in accordance with the present disclosure and, together with the general description of the disclosure given above and the detailed description set forth below, serve to explain the principles of the disclosure wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a first embodiment of a trekking pole consistent with the present disclosure including a gun mount in a two-part telescoping configuration;

FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the exemplary trekking pole in FIG. 1 with the inner length of pole displayed separately from the outer pole;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the exemplary trekking pole of FIG. 1 with the inner length of pole inserted into the outer pole to achieve a lesser length; and

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the exemplary trekking pole of FIG. 1 with a rifle secured in place by placing the heel of the rifle stock on the protrusion while the metallic barrel is held in place by the magnet disposed near the upper end of the trekking pole.

While constructions consistent with the present disclosure have been illustrated and generally described above and will hereinafter be described in connection with certain potentially preferred embodiments and practices, it is to be understood that in no event is the disclosure limited to such illustrated and described embodiments and practices. On the contrary, it is intended that the present disclosure shall extend to all alternatives and modifications as may embrace the general principles of this disclosure within the full and true spirit and scope thereof. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology used herein are for purposes of description only and should not be regarded as limiting. The use herein of terms such as “including” and “comprising” and variations thereof is meant to encompass the items listed thereafter and equivalents thereof as well as additional items and equivalents thereof.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

A trekking pole may be used to traverse rough or uneven terrain by allowing the user to stabilize himself or herself against the pole, and to transfer his or her weight to an additional point on the ground. Sport hunters must often traverse rough or uneven terrain or carry heavy loads. A trekking pole may assist a hunter walking across uneven ground, fording shallow bodies of water, any offer additional support to carry heavy equipment, food, and drink.

The trekking pole may include two opposed ends along its longitudinal axis, including an upper end and a lower end. The lower end may be placed into or against the ground while the user grips the pole nearer the upper end.

The trekking pole may have a sharpened lower end to allow the user to push the lower end into the ground either while walking, to provide additional stability, or while stationary, so that the pole may be held in place in a position perpendicular to the ground when the lower end is pushed into the earth. So placed, the trekking pole may support the weight of other objects and keep them off the ground, thereby keeping them clean and dry.

The trekking pole may be configured to receive a rifle and hold it in place. A magnet may be disposed inside or on the outer surface of the trekking pole near the upper end. A protrusion extending laterally from the trekking pole may be configured to receive the heel of the stock of a rifle by placing said heel onto said protrusion, while the magnet near the upper end of the trekking pole may hold the rifle in place when the metal barrel of a rifle is placed against or near the magnet as a result of the magnet's magnetic attraction to the metal from which the rifle barrel is composed.

The trekking pole may be composed of a plurality telescoping lengths of pole to allow it to be adjusted for the user's height. An upper length of pole may also terminate above a protrusion, which extends from a lower length of pole that is inserted into the upper length; this configuration allows the length of the pole to be adjusted to for the length of the rifle. Height adjustments may be accomplished in telescoping fashion by placing a cylindrical inner pole of a certain diameter into a hollow cylindrical outer pole wherein the inner diameter of the hollow space inside the outer pole is equal to the diameter of the outer sides of the cylindrical outer pole. Holes may be drilled at various integrals on the inner pole and at one position on the outer pole. If a pin or other structure is placed such that it passes through the holes placed in both the inner and outer poles, the trekking pole may be maintained at a particular length.

A handle or handles may be affixed at or near the upper end of the trekking pole and disposed transversely across the lateral sides of the trekking pole. These handles may serve to protect the users hand from brush, vegetation, or other outdoor hazards while the trekking pole is used while walking. When the user places the trekking pole into the ground, the user may grip transversely-disposed handles with both hands so that the user may be able to apply greater force to the trekking pole as it is pushed into the ground. Gear or equipment may also be clipped to or hung from one or more handles.

A ring may be affixed to the trekking pole so that the user may tie equipment to or hang equipment from the trekking pole once it has been stably placed in the ground. Other attachments, such as a hook, may also be affixed to the trekking pole so that the trekking pole may be used to support other objects once it has been placed into the ground.

Hollow ends of the trekking pole may be covered by a pole cap made of plastic or another flexible material in order to prevent the intrusion of moisture and debris. A pole cap may also cover hard or sharp edges, thereby preventing injury. A pole cap may also be placed at the end of the gun rest protrusion if said protrusion is configured to be hollow.

A trekking pole may optionally be made of a plurality of materials, including but not limited to metals such as aluminum or steel, plastic, or other lightweight and rigid materials such as carbon fiber. Separate elements of the trekking pole may be composed of different materials.

Referring now to the drawing wherein like numerals refer to like parts in the various views, FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of a trekking pole with a magnetic rifle mount. The illustrated exemplary trekking pole includes a magnet 300 disposed near the upper end of the wider segment of the telescoping trekking pole 100. A narrower bottom segment of the trekking pole 110, wherein the outer diameter of the wall of the lower segment is equal to or less than the inner diameter of the wall of the upper segment, may be inserted into the upper pole to provide telescoping length adjustment. A pin or other device, such as a springing push button clip 310, may be used to hold the two lengths of the trekking pole in place. A protrusion 200 extending laterally from the trekking pole may be adapted to receive or support the heel of a rifle stock while the barrel is held in place by a magnet 300. A lower end of a lower segment of the trekking pole may be cut at an angle or otherwise sharpened to provide a point 120 that may be pushed into the ground by the user. A handle 320 or handles may be attached to the trekking pole to provide a surface or surfaces by which the user may grip the pole with two hands when pushing the trekking pole into the ground.

FIG. 2 is an exploded view of an exemplary embodiment of a trekking pole with a magnetic rifle mount. A cap 220 may be inserted into a hollow upper end of a trekking pole. Optionally, a cap 210 may be inserted into a hollow end of said protrusion extending laterally from a trekking pole. A magnet 300 may be disposed within the trekking pole or on the outer perimeter of a trekking pole as shown in FIG. 2 . Optionally, a ring 330 may be attached to the exterior of a trekking pole. As best seen in FIG. 2 , the telescoping length adjustment of a trekking pole may be held in place with a springing push button clip 310 or other structure that passes through holes disposed in each segment of the trekking pole.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of a trekking pole with a magnetic rifle mount with a lower segment of lesser diameter of a trekking pole 110 placed into an upper segment of greater diameter of a trekking pole 100 and held in place by a push button clip 310 in a configuration of minimum length.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the exemplary embodiment of a trekking pole with a rifle secured in place by placing the heel of the rifle stock on the protrusion while the metallic barrel is held in place by the magnet disposed near the upper end of the trekking pole.

All references, including publications, patent applications, and patents, cited herein are hereby incorporated by reference to the same extent as if each reference were individually and specifically indicated to be incorporated by reference and were set forth in its entirety herein.

The use of the terms “a” and “an” and “the” and similar referents in the context of describing the disclosure (especially in the context of the following claims) are to be construed to cover both the singular and the plural, unless otherwise indicated herein or clearly contradicted by context. The terms “comprising,” “having,” “including,” and “containing” are to be construed as open-ended terms (i.e., meaning “including, but not limited to,”) unless otherwise noted. Recitation of ranges of values herein are merely intended to serve as a shorthand method of referring individually to each separate value falling within the range, unless otherwise indicated herein, and each separate value is incorporated into the specification as if it were individually recited herein. All methods described herein can be performed in any suitable order unless otherwise indicated herein or otherwise clearly contradicted by context. The use of any and all examples, or exemplary language (e.g., “such as”) provided herein, is intended merely to better illuminate the disclosure and does not pose a limitation on the scope of the disclosure unless otherwise claimed. No language in the specification should be construed as indicating any non-claimed element as essential to the practice of the disclosure.

Preferred embodiments of this disclosure are described herein, including the best mode known to the inventors for carrying out the disclosure. Variations of those preferred embodiments may become apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art upon reading the foregoing description. The inventors expect skilled artisans to employ such variations as appropriate, and the inventors intend for the disclosure to be practiced otherwise than as specifically described herein. Accordingly, this disclosure includes all modifications and equivalents of the subject matter recited in the claims appended hereto as permitted by applicable law. Moreover, any combination of the above-described elements in all possible variations thereof is encompassed by the disclosure unless otherwise indicated herein or otherwise clearly contradicted by context. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A trekking pole comprising: a pole with an upper end and a lower end; a magnet disposed near said upper end of said pole; and a fixed protrusion extending laterally from said pole at a position lower than said magnet wherein said protrusion is aligned longitudinally with said magnet.
 2. The trekking pole as recited in claim 1, wherein said pole is comprised of a plurality of telescoping pole lengths that may be fixed in place with respect to one another.
 3. The trekking pole as recited in claim 2, wherein the distance between said magnet and said protrusion are configured to be adjustable with respect to the length of a rifle, wherein an upper length of pole terminates above a lower telescoping length of pole from which a fixed protrusion extends.
 4. The trekking pole as recited in claim 2, wherein said plurality of telescoping pole lengths may be fixed in place with respect to one another by one or more springing push button clips.
 5. The trekking pole as recited in claim 1, wherein said pole is hollow.
 6. The trekking pole as recited in claim 1, wherein said pole is cylindrical.
 7. The trekking pole as recited in claim 1, wherein a lower end of said pole terminates at an acute angle relative to the vertical length of said pole.
 8. The trekking pole as recited in claim 1, wherein said pole is comprised of a material selected from the group consisting of metal, plastic, and carbon fiber.
 9. The trekking pole as recited in claim 1, wherein a handle is disposed near an upper end of said pole.
 10. The trekking pole as recited in claim 1, wherein a pair of handles are transversely disposed near an upper end of said pole.
 11. The trekking pole as recited in claim 5, wherein a plastic cap is disposed within an opening at the upper end of said pole.
 12. The trekking pole as recited in claim 1, wherein mounting rings are disposed at a location along the length of said pole.
 13. A trekking pole comprising: a plurality of telescoping pole lengths, each with an upper end and a lower end wherein said telescoping pole lengths may be fixed in place with respect to one another; a magnet disposed near an upper end of a top pole length; and a fixed protrusion extending laterally from a pole length at a position lower than said magnet wherein said protrusion may be fixed in longitudinal alignment with said magnet.
 14. The trekking pole as recited in claim 13, wherein the distance between said magnet and said protrusion are configured to be adjustable, wherein an upper length of pole terminates above a lower telescoping length of pole from which a fixed protrusion extends.
 15. The trekking pole as recited in claim 13, wherein a lower end of a bottom pole length terminates at an acute angle relative to the vertical length of said pole length.
 16. The trekking pole as recited in claim 13, wherein said plurality of pole lengths are comprised of a material selected from the group consisting of metal, plastic, and carbon fiber.
 17. The trekking pole as recited in claim 13, wherein a pair of handles are transversely disposed near an upper end of a top pole length.
 18. The trekking pole as recited in claim 13, wherein mounting rings are disposed at a location along the length of one or more pole lengths.
 19. The trekking pole as recited in claim 13, wherein a plastic cap is disposed within an opening at the upper end of a top pole length.
 20. A trekking pole assembly comprising: a plurality of telescoping pole lengths, each with an upper end and a lower end wherein said plurality of telescoping pole lengths may be fixed in place with respect to one another; a magnet and a pair of transversely-oriented handles disposed near an upper end of a top pole length; a lower end of a bottom pole length terminating in an angle acute to a vertical side of said bottom pole length; and a fixed protrusion extending laterally from a pole length at a position lower than said magnet wherein said protrusion may be fixed in longitudinal alignment with said magnet. 